Community Conversations: Guns Save Life

On May 14, 2013, members of the organization Guns Save Life met in Rantoul to discuss a number of issues, including firearm safety and a possible new concealed carry law in Illinois.

Illinois Public Media's Lindsey Moon and Kimberlie Kranich spoke with members of the group as part of the station's Community Conversations initiative.

Kranich says that during the meeting, several members expressed a preference for a concealed carry law to be passed, as even an imperfect bill would be better than the uncertainty of having no law on the matter.

One attendee noted that he was able to get around possible concealed carry laws because there is no prohibition on carrying a firearm and ammunition seperately on one's person, Kranich says.

Moon notes that several attendees were concerned that the wait time for an ownership permit was often 75-90 days, despite the promise that such a permit would be issued within 30 days by the state.

Other issues addressed in the meeting included school safety and the perception of media bias against firearm owners.

Every month, Illinois Public Media organizes or participates in other organizations’ 'community conversations.' WILL engages in these conversations in an effort to better inform our own news coverage.